Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs, Picks, Prediction, Odds, and Line Movement for Saturday, January 3, 2026
It's 2026 and there's a Western Conference matchup featuring this Trail Blazers vs. Spurs prediction. Both teams played on Friday night and the results will not be included in this write-up. San Antonio (24-9) comes into this matchup facing a young Portland team (14-20) that ranks 10th in the Western Conference. The Spurs rank second in the West, but just lost star center Victor Wembanyama (knee) for Friday's game against Indiana, and he is questionable for this matchup. These teams have met just once this season from Portland with San Antonio winning 115-102 as a 1-point favorite. Check out more free NBA predictions and more NFL picks at Winners and Whiners.
Sign Up for Winners and Whiners News Alerts, Get Free Picks and Discounts
Subscribe Now
Learning experience
While the Spurs shocked OKC to get a shot at the NBA Cup late in 2025, Portland had their shot on Dec. 31 against the Thunder. Unfortunately for the Trail Blazers, the Thunder showed up, pummelling them 124-95 on Wednesday. That elite Thunder defense held Portland ot just 39% shooting with Sidy Cissoko leading the Trail Blazers with 19 points, while leading scorer Deni Avdija was held to 17 points, seven assists, seven rebounds and seven turnovers.
The Trail Blazers won two straight before losing to Oklahoma City over Dallas and Boston at home, coming after losing three straight. It's been that kind of season for the Blazers, who are led by Avdija, who is averaging 25.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists in a point forward role. Shadeon Sharpe adds 21.8 points, while shooting 45.2% from the field.
Injuries have been a major issue with veterans Jrue Holiday (calf) and Jerami Grant (Achilles) missing action recently. According to DunksandThrees.com, Portland ranks 20th in Adjusted Net Rating, 20th in Adjusted Offense, and 19th in Adjusted Defense.
Key Injuries for Trail Blazers:
- F Jerami Grant (Achilles) could return Saturday. Avg. 20ppg.
- G Jrue Holiday (calf) is out. Avg. 16.7 points and 8.3apg. Has played just 12 games.
Spurs look to win without Wemby
San Antonio got some revenge for losing the NBA Cup to New York 124-113 on Dec. 16, by defeating them at home, 134-132 on Dec. 31. Julian Champagnie led the way with a career-high 36 points, while Wembanyama added 31 points and 13 rebounds in 23 minutes before coming out with a knee injury.
The good news is that the knee injury to Wembanyama was not serious and the 7-4 big man from France could return on Saturday. He's averaging 24.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.9 blocks. D'Aaron Fox adds 21.8 points and 6.0 assists, while guard Stephon Castle chips in with 17.9 points and 7.0 assists. The only other key injury for the Spurs right now is wing Devin Vassell (adductor), who will miss Saturday's game, but is not expected to be out for awhile.
DunksandThrees.com has the Spurs ranked 6th overall, sixth in Adjusted Offense, and ninth in Adjusted Defense.
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Tony Karpinski | +2,976.00 |
| 2 |  Joe Duffy | +2,595.00 |
| 3 |  The Insiders Room | +2,320.00 |
| 4 |  Mark Ruelle | +1,627.00 |
| 5 |  Jackie Mack | +1,451.00 |
Key Injuries for Spurs:
- G Devin Vassell (adductor) is out.
- C V. Wembanyama (knee) is questionable.
Spread Pick for Trail Blazers vs. Spurs
Trail Blazers vs. Spurs Pick, Odds and Prediction
- Portland to cover (4 units)
San Antonio doesn't need Wemby to win this game. They can win without him, but in terms of covering, the Blazers can take advantage of going to the paint and not seeing a 7-4+ big man deflecting their shots. If he plays, he's probably going to be on a minutes restriction. The Spurs didn't cover their previous two games at home before facing the Knicks so they might have been feeling themselves some after beating OKC for the third straight time.
Over/Under Pick for Blazers vs. Spurs
- Over (4 units)
When it comes to the pace of play, Portland wants to run all night. They rank 5th in pace of play, while the Spurs are 17th. San Antonio ranks 6th in the NBA in scoring, averaging 120 points per game and is sixth in field goal percentage. The Trail Blazers are 25th in the NBA in points allowed per game with 120.3 ppg allowed. They are also 22nd in field goal percentage defense.
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
Bet $5 & Get $200
